Circus Freak
by Gubbybub
Summary: Donatello thought he was doing the right thing by going to help the homeless during the harsh December cold. However, when he arrives, they're nowhere to be found, and is taken captive himself. Now, Don has to fight for his life in this deranged circus, hoping that is family will save him in time. Oh Don, why did you have to go alone?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello to everyone reading this~! :3 First, I just want to welcome you to my first TMNT fanfic: Circus Freak :D I haven't written fanfiction in a while, so I hope this is alright! 3 Just to clear up a few things: this takes place in the 2k3 series, there will be no romance, and I have a feeling that the rating will move up to M for disturbing content (and possibly Raph's mouth). XD Anywho, this is the prologue, so it's shorter than the upcoming chapters. Please review, and let me know what you think. C: Thank you, and enjoy! *0* **

_**Don's POV**_

It wasn't supposed to end like this. Well, then again, I never could truly predict what would be my demise, but this...anything but this. As I lay there, slumped against the corner of the arena, every puncture, bruise, and broken bone cry out in a painful symphony. I don't scream, or call out for help; I would receive no empathy here. This foul place is really going to be my grave, isn't it? Just the thought makes my stomach lurch, and my gasps for air transform into rapid panting. I can feel any remaining hope abandon me, yet I still attempt to stand. Leaning against the edge of this cage, a growl escapes my lips, full of frustration as I try to push myself up.

All eyes are on me when a scream, my scream, echoes throughout the showground. Laughter turns into cheers at my effort. I manage to stand, but the moment is short-lived as my body immediately falls forward. Hilarity follows in the crowd, but it's not like I mind. I've become numb to their constant mockery. Besides, the audience isn't what's in my thoughts. I already hear thundering footsteps coming closer: the sound of my competitor approaching. He picks me up by my shell, and our eyes meet. In this moment, I see my family; my brothers and father must be so worried about my well-being. If only I had listened, if I had not been so stubborn…I'd be with them right now.

How did it come to this? I remember it was almost Christmas before this madness took over my life. That's right; the weather was getting colder, so I went to distribute blankets and other necessities to Professor and other homeless. I went alone, but why? '_An argument with Leo that spun out of control, that's why, genius.' _We were disputing for something so trivial. I'm not one to get into fights with our leader, or anyone in the family. I'm supposed to be the one who thinks things through, yet on that night, I popped. It was over something completely ridiculous, too. Was I even right? I guess it doesn't matter now. As I stare at my predator, he simply grins at my pathetic expression. I'm sorry, everyone, for all that I've done. I couldn't last long enough in this circus for you guys to come rescue me in time. My eyelids fall, accepting defeat, as I wait for death to come and take me home.

OvOOvOOvO

_**Third person POV**_

"Leo, could you please just listen to me for a moment?"

"No Don, I'm sorry, but it's too dangerous to go topside right now. You heard Master Splinter: the temperature's dropping, and the Foot has been too active for it to be safe." The eldest turtle said with a sigh, his eyes shining with compassion. It was obvious that the recent Foot activity has been getting to Leonardo, but he must respect their father's orders.

"I'm not going anywhere near the Foot though! I just want to go to the junkyard and give our friends some supplies. Think about what you're saying." The genius pointed out, his voice pleading. "It'll be a quick trip, no harm done! Professor and the other homeless are counting on me. It's not _that _cold right now, but it'll get worse soon. This is the only chance I have to give these to them."

Donatello watched as his leader paced back and forth, contemplating his brother's request. The blue-banded turtle knew that those living on the streets needed help, and normally, he'd be more than happy to oblige. However, their father had given him a warning; that there was something in the air that only Master Splinter could sense. Out of worry, the rat had told him to keep his brothers inside. He hadn't said for how long, so Leo assumed until Christmas passed, and the weather heated up a bit.

Although, there was something else going on up on the streets of New York; something that involved the Foot. The last time the brothers had gone topside, they were ambushed by ninja trained by none other than the Shredder. Even with their training, the turtles couldn't fight off what felt like an army every time they went on patrol. They would start coming back wounded from the brawls, and their sensei had kept them inside out of fear, that something wasn't right.

"You should let him leave, Leo. It's not like the Foot goes around terrorizing homeless." Mikey said from the couch, not even sparing the two a glance as he continued to watch television. "Besides, Donnie never asks for this sort of stuff unless it's important." Leonardo shot his youngest brother a glare, while Don stared at his feet. He really hated conflict, and now Mikey just stepped into it. _'Let's just hope Leo doesn't drag him into this.'_

To make matters worse, Raph actually _stepped away _from his punching bag to come and stand next to his younger brother. With a hand on the genius' shoulder, he barked, "Why ya gotta have a stick shoved up yer ass all the time? It's Don, he ain't gonna get in trouble." A groan of protest slipped out between Donatello's lips, but it went unheard by his older brothers. "Why are you always trying to pick a fight with me, Raph? This has nothing to do with you."

Ignoring the question, Raphael continued, "Nothin' to do with me? We've been cooped up in here for too long! Besides, all Donnie wants to do is help some people out. Shredder's goons don't go anywhere near the junkyard!" With a growl, Leo lunged at Raphael, causing him to fall back in surprise. Donatello could only stare as his brothers rolled around on the floor. "Why can't you see that I'm trying to protect us? If Master Splinter wasn't meditating, he'd say the same thing!"

'_Did Leo actually attack Raph first? The pressure really must be getting to him…' _It was true: Leonardo has been more than stressed lately. Their father had trusted him with something important, and that was to keep everyone safe. It's quite a heavy burden, especially when you feel that you're going stir crazy. At this point, Michelangelo was up, and attempting to cease the pair's arguing. _'I'd hate to just leave, but this is my only chance.'_ Taking one last look at his brothers, Don grabbed his duffel and bo staff, and slipped out in the confusion.

**Oh noes, Donnie, what have you done? Dx**

**He just made the biggest mistake of his life. o.o**

**Please review~! ^w^**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much to those who followed, faved, and reviewed! Like I said, this is my first story in a long time, so I hope it's okay! Xp This is shorter than I would like it to be, but I swear that the next one will be longer! C: I will respond to each review at the end of this chapter, so please enjoy! 3**

**OOOOOOO**

"Stop! Please, I…I can't take this anymore." Donatello begged. He was sleep deprived (more than he was used to), in far too much pain, and his mental stability was deteriorating rapidly. Was this the end for him? Apparently so, as he had just admitted defeat to his captor. A heavy kick to the ribs made him cease his sobs, and a gasp echoed throughout the small cell, bouncing off the walls.

When the man took one step closer, the genius turtle pushed himself farther back, his shell hitting the corner. Don began to quake when the other put a hand on his right cheek, where the painted symbol was. He bit his lip, trying to hold back a whine. "Donatello, you're my star! Doesn't that give you a sense of pride?" Receiving no response, the ringleader sighed, "Look, Donnie-"

"D-Don't call me that." His words came out more like a whimper than a command, but he meant them. Bewilderment was eminent on the human's face, but it transformed into fury within a second. Don would've winced under his glare, but this time, he held his ground. "What was that, freak?" It fascinated Donatello how the man's emotions could change in an instant, even though it made everything much more difficult. Forcing his body off the floor, he pointed a shaking, but accusing finger at the other, "I said do _not _call me Donnie. You…You don't have the right!"

In that instant, Don was prepared for anything, whether it be a beating or another turn in the arena. What he didn't expect was an expression of awe to come across the ringleader's face. He became even more jumbled when the man began to chuckle. "You still don't know who you're dealing with, do you?"

Donatello didn't have a chance to blink as he was shoved to the ground, moans of pain immediately slipping out of his lips. A boot slammed down on his left arm, and he screamed. New tears began to spill as Don sucked in a breath, squeezing his eyes shut. The aching in his arm caused him to tremble; he was unable to feel any form of relief when the shoe was removed. He knew more was to come.

"You will not tell me what to do, understand? I am the ringleader! You will show some respect to your master." Donatello did his best to hold back cries of mercy. He could feel the other's eyes on him, examining him like meat. "Your arm's broken, isn't it? It has been since your last fight." Don didn't have to look up to know that the man was smirking. He could hear the mocking tone in his voice, and it frightened him. Wicked laughter filled the cell. "Would you like a new one?"

OOOOO

Splinter's eyes shot open, in panic at what he had just witnessed. His simple meditation had turned into a cruel nightmare. A glimpse of the future? He could not deny it. Whatever this forthcoming was, he had to prevent it…but was that even possible? Maybe it was a warning. The rat hurried from the dojo, and towards his sons. One, two three…where was the fourth?

For a moment, he stared at his _three _sons: Raphael and Leonardo were having another fight, and were grappling on the floor. Michelangelo seemed at a loss of what to do, and his attempts to pull them apart were futile. Why wasn't Donatello with them? His presence was not yet noticed by the brothers, and Splinter was becoming anxious. "My sons, where is Donatello?"

All eyes were on him, and the turtles immediately tensed. Leo and Raph stood up, but continued to glare at each other as they stood up straight in front of their sensei. "Sorry about that, Master Splinter. We were just arguing about…"

"You have not answered my previous question, Leonardo. Where is Donatello?" Silence occupied the lair, and Mikey, Leo, and Raph exchanged awkward glances. "He was just here, sensei." The orange-banded ninja said lamely, rubbing his now stiff neck. Now, everyone scanned around their home, calling the missing turtle's name. No, this wasn't possible. Was he too late to prevent his worst fear?

"Did he actually leave?" Leonardo was stunned. The genius never disobeyed his orders, especially when they came directly from Master Splinter. What was so important that he'd defy both authorities? "Didn't he say that he was goin' to the junkyard? Ya know, to pass out goods for the homeless?" A sigh escaped his lips. Of course, kind-hearted Donnie could never let a soul suffer.

At this point, Splinter was in a full fright, but he didn't let it show. "Your brother is in danger. We need to leave now, before it is too late!" The turtles didn't need to be told twice. While questions filled each of their heads about what predicament Don could be in, they had to wait for answers.

OOOOOO

"Hello? Is anyone here?" Donatello was confused as he paced around the dump. Where was everyone? Once he stood in the center of the landfill, terror shot through him as he raced towards a lonely burning flame. So there were here recently, but where had they gone? It wasn't like them to just leave everything they had behind. Unopened food packages sat by worn out blankets; there had to be something wrong.

Memories of the Garbageman came to mind, but Don shook his head. They had taken care of him long ago, and besides, the junkyard seemed untouched by any menace (or vehicle). It was like they had just disappeared into the air…never to be seen again. He forced himself to stop thinking those horrid thoughts, and decided to scope the area again. Perhaps there was something he missed?

The turtle chose to start from the opposite entrance, and go around. There had to be something, or _anything_, that led to the homeless' sudden disappearance. Dim lights flickered down on him, barely providing enough illumination for him to find anything mysterious. Pulling out a flashlight from his faithful duffel, he switched it on, and began his search.

The first thing he noticed was a flyer. Multiple flyers, actually, attached to the fence. Stepping towards it, Donatello ripped one off, and examined it. On the paper was what appeared to be a circus tent, and big print that read, 'Come See The Show!' It didn't have an address on the front or back, and something about the ad was eerie. Donatello didn't like it one bit.

Shoving the flyer into his bag, he continued to search the area, until he stepped in something. It was wet, warm, and red. Don couldn't hold back a gasp as his flashlight brightened the small pool of blood. It was definitely fresh…He needed to find them; they must be serious trouble!

A prick in the neck snapped him out of his daze, and his eyes widened to see a dart. Immediately, he pulled it out, but the damage already seemed to be done. The turtle was swaying as his vision blurred. Before he knew it, he was on his knees, his body becoming weak. He held himself up with his hands, but whatever he was shot with was contaminating his body at a rapid pace. Every part of Don's seemed fatigued, and he couldn't stop his eyelids from falling. In an instant, he succumbed to the darkness.

OOOOOO

**mistystar123: Thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed this update~! c: **

**Heather: Yes, he is mine too! 3 I'm glad you liked the intro; I hope you enjoy the rest of this story! **

**RascalKat: Oh my, your words have touched my heart! ;w; I've had this idea for YEARS, so I'm glad I'm finally writing it! :D Every time I struggled to write this, your review kept me going! :3 Thank you very much! 3**

**CuddlyHawk: I'm happy that you liked it! I hope you stick around for the rest! ^-^**

**JustCallMeCookiee: Here you go, haha! I do hope this chapter lived up to your expectations! :D**


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